3 Years Later

The Organization’s Headquarter

Seoul

“Call her.”

“No, you call her.”

Kyung gritted his teeth, tsk-ing at the lack of balls of his juniors. With ripped figures and menacing stares behind the glasses, they cannot muster their minds to make that phone call. “I thought I had already asked you to do that seconds ago!”

Desperate times call for desperate measures. Right across their headquarters, hoodlums were making a mess, trashing and smearing the front of their building with dirt and whatever substances he didn’t want to know the details. Fully knowing that this is only a pathetic show of power, the numbers of people are still concerning. Even when his Noonim had already instructed them to leave it be until it died down, cooped up in the meeting room with a few other planners.

“But Hyung…” his junior stammered. “Noonim already warned us not to call her, or there will be consequences…”

Kyung snorted. “The consequences will be even more deadly if you choose not to inform her about things like this.” It is successfully raising the subordinates’ fear in succession. “Don’t let her hamster-face fool you. Her temper can be worse than Noonim's when the situation calls for it!”

It seems to be enough of a threat as the subordinate takes out his phone and goes straight to the speed dial.

--

On the 23rd floor of the publishing company, everyone is scrambling in their cubicles, gathering information and keeping up with the deadlines. Not joining the beeline to the Chief Editor’s office is a booth in the corner, the one occupied by most papers and references but the least trinkets and memorandums out of all cubicles at present. The woman occupying it is a brunette, typing on her laptop, sometimes picking the pencil from her ear and scratching on some notes, her nose scrunching behind the large spectacles adorning her feature.

“Sunbae!”

The brunette sticks her head out of the article that is not supposed to be finished by her. She cast a glance at the caller, who reflexively flustered at the sudden eye contact.

“Yes?”

“Chief Editor wondered where is the finished article for next week’s column…”

Typing here and there, she concentrates on her laptop before turning to her junior. “Done, Bomi-sshi. I have sent the thing to you. You can check it in your email.”

Yet, that doesn’t erase the appearance of apprehension on Bomi’s feature. The brunette stands up and steps closer. “What is it?” Her question was dripping with concern.

“Sungjae said I stole his work…” Her eyes turn glassy, avoiding further eye contact when Moonbyul raises one eyebrow. Journalists know that whatever that brat is spouting is all lies. She put her palm on Bomi’s shoulder, giving reassuring taps. “I was your mentor, Bomi, and your work is splendid. There is no plagiarism involved.”

“Yes, sunbae, but he’s fibbing, and everyone’s talking about it, and once the Chief Editor heard it…”

Pushing the glasses to the bridge of her nose, she gets down on one knee, opening a tiny vault and grabbing a USB drive out of heaps of trash inside. She proceeded to slip the thing into Bomi’s pocket as the girl gasped. “I know what that Sungjae brat uses for his topic, and yes, he’s stealing one of the senior’s work down to a tee.” She chuckled in amusement at Bomi’s bulging eyes. “Show him this, and you can bet that will shut his yap for a lifetime.”

Between mutterings of profuse thank-yous, a notification lit up from the phone on her desk. She soon caught sight of it, flashing a smile at Bomi. “I haven’t got the chance to have lunch, and there are some matters I have to attend, so can I leave it to you for a while, Bomi-sshi?”

The younger woman nodded just as quickly, as this has been a routine that has gone on in the department; the fact that Chief Editor gave some leniency on this only fires the rumors further on how Moonbyul may be the trump card of the department.

But rumors stay as rumors. The brunette is known to be warm and kind to co-workers alike, but the sharpness in processing and sorting what works best for the reader is uncanny. The title of “The Most Supportive Mentor” slash “News Monster” for two years in a row is deserving.

Shooting her trademark wink at Bomi, she snatched her keys and went straight to the lift, disappearing from the unrest at present. Fiddling with the USB drive, Bomi looks upon the cubicle and lands her eyes on a medium-sized photo of her mentor with a woman, sitting side-by-side with the tanned woman with a relaxed, captivating smile.

The photo tacked some time ago and in there, the brunette sporting her crunchiest nose smile just yet.

--

The hoodlums were starting to get out of control, and before Kyung reached into his blazer, the roaring sound echoed as the chopper cut in a swoop. Some of them fall and hit the head first on the concrete. The chopper went into several disorienting circles and scattered the group to pieces as the barricade dispersed; the rider halted and took out her jet black helmet off.

“Moon-nim!”

“Thanks for calling me.” She grabbed the bat, threw it at her and smashed it onto anybody she could reach, jumping and evading. Every smack is causing a loud cracking sound; Kyung is sure some bones broke. Exactly deserving.

Years ago, right after Moonbyul’s ‘monstrous’ stamina and agility became known, she was serving as “The Mistress’s Woman,”. Instead of affirming the ist quality of the name, it further asserts her prowess in eliminating anyone that stands in the leader’s way, paving the reputation of itself in the underworld.

Yet, the road is still long, and the time taken is much more than expected.

Smashing one’s nose broken with an elbow, Moonbyul scanned her surroundings until she stumbled upon the shiftiest of the bunch.

It must be the head.

Catching up quickly, Moonbyul grabs the lanky man by the tail, disabling all access to escape. The cornered man pulls out a gun that gets snatched as Moonbyul sends a hook to his jaw, sticking the same gun to his head.

Moonbyul takes a deep breath and shouts.

“Stop this, or I will blow his head off!”

Almost all of the men on location put whatever weapon they had on the ground. Kyung signaled the men to be detained for private ‘interviews.’ Soon after the commotion was put under control, Kyung ran to Moonbyul, who was in the middle of dusting her leather jacket and flashing a lopsided grin at the young man.

“Byul-nim! Thank you for making it here.”

“It’s fine. Thank you for calling me. Now I should scram back before—”

“Moon Byulyi!”

Moonbyul knows she is not prone to lying to say that the mere call shivered her wits on end, a sentiment that must have been shared by Kyung and others as well. What’s intimidating is the caller: a tanned woman in a flowery black dress, strutting with elegance with her leg shining in golden light, always turning the charming mode on to the point of blinding. It is supposed to be charming if not for the glint of a lioness ready to pounce on its prey.

The stridings are long ones, and Moonbyul closes her eyes, steadying herself for the incoming tornadoes before turning, intent on slipping on the leather gloves long forgotten. “Hyejin-ah! Well~ I fancy meeting you here! Now that my lunchtime is over, I must go now— Hurgh!”

“Not so fast.” Hyejin pulls the collar of Moonbyul’s jacket from the back, preventing her from escaping this time. She shot a glare at the remaining subordinates who looked down, either out of guilt or caught red-handed. The men knew what they had sinned until Moonbyul clapped her hands several times, chuckling with a nervous tick. “Hyejin-ah! I need to go now before my boss kills me on the spot!” It's more like she has to avoid the burn on the spot.

The sight came as Hyejin slipped her manicured fingers along Moonbyul’s cheek, a habit Moonbyul hasn’t used to even after years. “Who ask you to come here, anyway? After the surgery last week, it will be a huge strain on your back!”

Her words cut off as Moonbyul scooted closer, planting her lips on the other woman’s cheek. The man witnessed without blinking as Hyejin stepped back, her hand going to her kissed cheek in reflex.

Stepping back with a shriek is the reaction that puts Moonbyul in a good mood.

“Let me go just this time!” Moonbyul laughed. The fact that it sounds like heaven harps to Hyejin’s ears is infuriating. “I have to go back to the company now! I'll catch you up later for dinner tonight!”

The hamster already disappears from view before Hyejin has a chance to slip a word. Her eyelashes fluttered with observation, and that way, the men know they will not get out easily this time.

--

The clock illuminates at 6 PM.

The click-clacking heels stopped near the reserved table. Hyejin takes a seat that has been pulled by the waiter. She was absentmindedly looking from the corner of her eyes. With her fingers drumming on the ebony table, she put her chin on her palm and almost let out a yawn until the sound of an open lift can be heard.

The door whirring opened and letting out a pair of legs that making small steps to her table. A huge bouquet obstructs Hyejin from witnessing her upper body, but it doesn’t matter.

The bouquet was offered right to Hyejin, revealing the messy, unruly hair that sticks out like a sore thumb. The nose smile is compensating, not like Hyejin didn’t love anything of the older woman.

“For you,” Moonbyul said with a smirk decorating her face.

“You’re late.”

The straightforward tone in it didn’t deter Moonbyul from responding to the other woman. “Sorry. The assignment shows up last minute.”

At this, Hyejin crossed her arms on the table, eyes observing while Moonbyul put the bouquet away and took a seat across Hyejin. The silence went on for seconds.

“What?” Moonbyul is